Y Liat was arrested by Dak Lak Provincial Police on 6/1 for murder.

During the investigation, Y Liat admitted that on the evening of 4/1, he saw his brother-in-law, Y Biung Nie, 40, drunk and loudly cursing while riding a motorbike through the hamlet. Y Liat advised him to "go home, you're drunk."

Y Liat Enuol at the police station. Photo: Ngoc Oanh.

According to his testimony, Y Biung suddenly took out a machete he was carrying and struck Y Liat once on the head. He then continued to chase his brother-in-law to the lake's edge. During the ensuing struggle, Y Liat managed to disarm him and killed his brother-in-law.

After determining the victim was dead, Y Liat dragged the body into a nearby lake, using tree roots and large rocks to weigh it down and conceal it. The suspect then took the victim's machete and fled.

About 30 minutes later, the victim's wife passed by and saw her husband's motorbike near the lake's edge but no one around. She called out to relatives for help in searching. The victim's body was later found in the lake.

The following morning, Y Liat was apprehended by police while hiding in a field within the hamlet.

Ngoc Oanh